His new Batman movie “Justice League” is due for release Nov. 17. The superhero epic, which also features features the wildly popular Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, could be one of the biggest movies of the year, irrespective of Affleck’s involvement.

But right now, Affleck has a dark cloud hanging over him. He’s been accused of groping at least two women and of possibly being complicit in a Hollywood culture that has long allowed rich and powerful men like Harvey Weinstein, one of his frequent film collaborators, to sexually mistreat women.

The embattled Affleck on Sunday told the Associated Press he would look at his own behavior and “be part of the solution” to fight that culture. The statement sounded a lot like a redemption narrative being spun by publicists, whom the Washington Post said are scrambling to find an effective damage-control strategy for the star.

This week, it looks like the publicists could be testing out a new effort in this redemption strategy: A cover story in Us Weekly quotes unnamed confidants and other sources saying that Affleck is working to combat “his demons” after getting off track in his long, publicized struggle with alcohol addiction.

These sources — at the behest of the publicists? — say the 45-year-old “Argo” star and director has recommitted himself to a recovery program and to being a great father to his three children with estranged wife Jennifer Garner.

But this narrative has some problematic features. The story posits that Affleck is relying on some help to stay sober. One is Garner — an “angel,” according to an “Affleck confidant,” and the other is younger brother Casey Affleck, who himself is dogged by allegations of sexual harassment, going back to a 2010 lawsuit.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Ben Affleck, the one-time “Good Will Hunting” golden boy, has had to fight to restore his reputation.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in 2003. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

In the late 2000s, he had to recover from a disastrous high-profile engagement with Jennifer Lopez and a string of critical and commercial film projects.

The tide turned after he married Garner in 2005 and he focused on directing, which eventually brought success with “Argo,” which won the best picture Oscar in 2013.

Now Affleck needs another comeback. And the Us Weekly story might be part of that.

The story says two-time rehab vet Affleck realized he was “losing his grip on his alcohol addiction” just days after celebrating the Sept. 17 Emmy win of his girlfriend Lindsay Shookus, a “Saturday Night Live” producer.

But, in the first of the problematic part of this story, Affleck immediately turned to Garner, from whom Affleck split in 2015. The couple filed for divorce this past April. But Garner “has always been there for him,” the source said.

Lucky him, you could say. Affleck poured out his heart to Garner, “telling her everything that was going on with his life,” the source told Us Weekly.

“After everything they’ve been through, she is going to continue to be there for him when he needs her,” the source continued. “No matter what the circumstances.”

Those circumstances include all the “smoking and drinking and gambling” that apparently took place during the marriage.

The circumstances may also include Affleck cheating on Garner with Shookus when they were still married. There are reports that Affleck became romantic with Shookus in 2013, around the time he guest hosted an episode of “Saturday Night Live.”

In this narrative, the idea of Garner being such a devoted ex-spouse is presented as a positive for Affleck. It’s meant to show that he’s a good guy who deserves that kind of loyalty. He can also present himself as a good father, willing to be there for their kids, Violet, 11, Seraphina, 8, and Samuel, 5.

“No one ever told her she needs to stick around to help Ben, but she always will,” said an source, described as an “Affleck confidant.”

This confidant asserts: “They are both good parents and good people.”

What Affleck’s publicists might not realize is that some people could be thinking, “Can’t Jennifer Garner be done with this guy? And why doesn’t he pour his heart out instead to his new girlfriend?”

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Enter Casey Affleck

But the most problematic part of this recovery story is Casey Affleck’s reported involvement.

Winner for Best Actor “Manchester By The Sea” Casey Affleck is embraced by his brother Ben Affleck at the 89th Oscars (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

Casey Affleck, “who is sober,” the Us Weekly story noted, found Affleck space in a 30-day inpatient rehab facility in the Los Angeles area. Affleck apparently entered that program on Sept. 25, about a week before the Weinstein scandal broke.

Perhaps being in rehab can be Affleck’s excuse for waiting nearly a week to address the allegations against Weinstein, his former mentor and frequent collaborator. Then again, fellow A-list Weinstein collaborators George Clooney and Matt Damon also weren’t in a rush to deal with the Weinstein matter.

When Affleck finally issued a statement, crafted by his publicists, it backfired big time, according to the Washington Post.

The publicists put up a message on Facebook, having Affleck say he was “saddened” and “angry” over the Weinstein revelations. But actress Rose McGowan immediately accused Affleck of knowing about Weinstein’s behavior and lying to cover it up, while others accused him of groping women at the 2014 Golden Globes, the Washington Post said.

For the next few weeks, Affleck retreated into silence, “reasoning he could only lose by engaging popular anti-harassment activists,” the Post said.

Meanwhile, Casey Affleck’s 2010 harassment allegations have become front-and-center evidence for some that powerful men in Hollywood, or in any industry for that matter, can get away with mistreating women.

His Oscar win for “Manchester by the Sea” earlier this year is seen as a case study in how a man with VIP connections won’t see his career suffer if he’s accused of harassment or assault. Ben Affleck and Damon vigorously campaigned for Casey to win the best actor Oscar even as the 2010 sexual allegations resurfaced during awards season.

When he spoke with the Associated Press Sunday, Ben Affleck didn’t mention his younger brother, and that absence was noticed on social media.

Meanwhile, in the Us Weekly story, Casey is simply portrayed as a loving brother who has helped Ben get “into a great headspace.”

Ben Affleck goes to church, gets a new dog

Ben Affleck is now doing Buddhist meditation, according to Us Weekly. And he’s been snapped by paparazzi going to church with Garner and getting a new dog. The latter news, about an adorable new husky, caused some more social media snickering, the Washington Post said.

It will be interesting to see how this Us Weekly story will play, with quotes from insiders claiming that Affleck realizes that his “slip-ups have affected his loved ones” but that he’s “making strides toward recovery.”

This kind of pablum, without response from Affleck to some of the questions people have about his behavior and associations, is likely to invite more snickers on social media — or worse.

The Weinstein scandal has created a new, challenging landscape for P.R.-conscious celebrities to navigate, and the “image industry” is definitely in crisis, the Washington Post said.

Ben Affleck signing autographs.

The instinct of most publicists is to suppress negative attention. But it’s questionable whether an aggressively positive spin like the Us Weekly story will provide Affleck with the redemption narrative he’s so desperately seeking.

In a post-Weinstein era, the public wants more candor and transparency from celebrities, not spin and cover-ups.

After all, what did the public get with spin and cover-ups? Someone like Harvey Weinstein.

Martha Ross is a features writer who covers everything and anything related to popular culture, society, health, women’s issues and families. A native of the East Bay and a graduate of Northwestern University and Mills College, she’s also a former hard-news and investigative reporter, covering crime and local politics.